Emerging onballer Xavier O’Neill looms as a strong contender to add to his five career games when West Coast hosts the Gold Coast Suns this Sunday in the season-opener at Optus Stadium.
After grabbing his chance to play late last season, O’Neill quickly picked up the pace of the elite level and returned to summer training with a noticeable spike in intensity and confidence.
The 20-year-old played 80 per cent game time in the AAMI Community Series win over Fremantle, looking assured in the middle as he picked up 19 disposals, laid three tackles and extracted two clearances.
The 28th pick in the 2018 draft, O'Neill forms part of the next generation rising through the ranks and was pushing to play in round one even before skipper Luke Shuey was set back by a minor hamstring strain.
“He’s a real strong chance,” coach Adam Simpson told Channel Seven.
“His pre-season form has been really solid, so he was a discussion regardless of whether Luke was going to be available or not.
“Unfortunately for Luke it hasn’t been (an) isolated (soft-tissue injury). There’s been a fair few over the last 12 to 18 months so we’re working really hard to try to get that right.
“It’s a low-grade, grade one hamstring which is hopefully a two-weeker.
“Really disappointing for him. He put a really good block of training together and he was looking really good last week.
“Disappointing for us but we’ll have to move on.”
The Suns were too tough for West Coast when the sides met in round two last season and Simpson was bracing for a physical contest.
“We actually had a look at some vision today as a match committee about the last time we played and it really wasn’t too pretty,” Simpson said.
“We got beaten up around the ball. They worked harder than us and beat us by 40-odd points in a reduced (length) game.
“We got touched up by a better side that day so hopefully we can turn that around.”
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Optus Stadium is set to be at 75 per cent capacity for Sunday’s clash and Simpson hoped members and fans turn out in force with four valuable premiership points on the line.
“We love our crowd, we’ve really missed them. It’s part of our purpose, it’s part of who we are and our home ground advantage really is determined by our supporters,” Simpson said.
“Hopefully we get full book no matter what it is.”
